Proverbs 14
1 A wise woman builds up her household. But a foolish one will pull down with her own hands what has been built up.
Every wise woman has built her house, And the foolish breaks it down with her hands.
2 One who walks on a virtuous journey, and who fears God, is despised by him who advances along a disreputable way.
Whoever is walking in his uprightness is fearing YHWH, And the perverted is despising Him [in] his ways.
3 In the mouth of the foolish, there is a rod of arrogance. But the lips of the wise guard them.
A rod of pride [is] in the mouth of a fool, And the lips of the wise preserve them.
4 Where there are no oxen, the feeding trough is empty. But where there are many crops, there the strength of the ox is manifest.
Without oxen a stall [is] clean, And great [is] the increase by the power of the ox.
5 A faithful witness will not lie. But a deceitful witness offers a lie.
A faithful witness does not lie, And a false witness breathes out lies.
6 A mocker seeks wisdom and does not find it. The doctrine of the prudent is accessible.
A scorner has sought wisdom, and it is not, And knowledge [is] easy to the intelligent.
7 Go against a foolish man, and he does not acknowledge lips of prudence.
Go from before a foolish man, Or you have not known the lips of knowledge.
8 The wisdom of a discerning man is to understand his way. And the imprudence of the foolish is to be wandering astray.
The wisdom of the prudent [is] to understand his way, And the folly of fools [is] deceit.
9 The foolish will speak mockingly of sin. But grace lingers among the just.
Fools mock at a guilt-offering, And among the upright—a pleasing thing.
10 The heart that knows the bitterness of its own soul, in its gladness the outsider shall not meddle.
The heart knows its own bitterness, And a stranger does not interfere with its joy.
11 The house of the impious will be wiped away. Yet truly, the tabernacles of the just shall spring forth.
The house of the wicked is destroyed, And the tent of the upright flourishes.
12 There is a way which seems just to a man, but its conclusion leads to death.
There is a way—right before a man, And its latter end [are] ways of death.
13 Laughter shall be mingled with sorrow, and mourning occupies the limits of joy.
Even in laughter is the heart pained, And the latter end of joy [is] affliction.
14 The foolish will be filled up by his own ways. And the good man shall be above him.
The backslider in heart is filled from his ways, And a good man—from his fruits.
15 The innocent trust every word. The astute one considers his own steps. Nothing good will be for the deceitful son. But the wise servant shall act prosperously and his way will be set in order.
The simple gives credence to everything, And the prudent attends to his step.
16 The wise fear, and so turn away from evil. The foolish leap ahead with confidence.
The wise is fearing and turning from evil, And a fool is transgressing and is confident.
17 The impatient will work foolishness. And a resourceful man is hated.
Whoever is short of temper does folly, And a man of wicked schemes is hated.
18 The childish will possess foolishness, and the discerning will anticipate knowledge.
The simple have inherited folly, And the prudent are crowned [with] knowledge.
19 The evil will fall down before the good. And the impious will fall down before the gates of the just.
The evil have bowed down before the good, And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20 The pauper will be hated, even by his own neighbor. Yet truly, the friends of the wealthy are many.
The poor is hated even of his neighbor, And those loving the rich [are] many.
21 Whoever despises his neighbor, sins. But whoever pities the poor shall be blessed. Whoever trusts in the Lord loves mercy.
Whoever is despising his neighbor sins, Whoever is favoring the humble, O his blessedness.
22 They wander astray who work evil. But mercy and truth prepare good things.
Do they who are devising evil not err? And kindness and truth [are] to those devising good,
23 In every work, there shall be abundance. But where there are many words, there is often need.
In all labor there is advantage, And a thing of the lips [is] only to want.
24 The crown of the wise is their wealth. The senselessness of the foolish is imprudence.
The crown of the wise is their wealth, The folly of fools [is] folly.
25 A faithful witness frees souls. And the chameleon utters lies.
A true witness is delivering souls, And a deceitful one breathes out lies.
26 In the fear of the Lord is the faithfulness of strength, and there shall be hope for his sons.
Strong confidence [is] in the fear of YHWH, And there is a refuge to His sons.
27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, so as to turn aside from the ruin of death.
The fear of YHWH [is] a fountain of life, To turn aside from snares of death.
28 In a multitude of people, there is dignity for the king. And in a paucity of people, there is disgrace for the prince.
The honor of a king [is] in the multitude of a people, And the ruin of a prince in lack of people.
29 Whoever is patient is governed by much prudence. But whoever is impatient exalts his foolishness.
Whoever is slow to anger [is] of great understanding, And whoever is short in temper is exalting folly.
30 The well-being of the heart is life for the flesh. But envy is decay for the bones.
A healed heart [is] life to the flesh, And rottenness to the bones [is] envy.
31 Whoever slanders the indigent argues against his Maker. But he who has compassion on the poor honors his Maker.
An oppressor of the poor reproaches his Maker, And whoever is honoring Him Is favoring the needy.
32 The impious will be expelled in his malice. But the just finds hope even in his own death.
The wicked is driven away in his wickedness, And the righteous [is] trustful in his death.
33 In the heart of the prudent, wisdom finds rest. And so shall he instruct all the uneducated.
Wisdom rests in the heart of the intelligent. And it is known in the midst of fools.
34 Justice elevates a nation. But sin makes the peoples miserable.
Righteousness exalts a nation, And the righteousness of peoples [is] a sin-offering.
35 An intelligent minister is acceptable to the king. Whoever is useless shall bear his wrath.
The favor of a king [is] to a wise servant, And one causing shame is an object of his wrath!
